First post, accuracy with a Taurus PT111 Pro

[SMPgh]

First post, like I said.

A little background: When I was in middle school, I got a goo bit of practice shooting various deer rifles and 22 long rifles. I was alright, stopped shooting for a decade, and then bought myself a pretty new Taurus PT111 Pro.

Pros: Feels great in the hand, no malfunctions, pretty as she could be, had external safety.

Cons: Sights are trash and the gun doesn't shoot to the sights anyways.

I suppose a good portion of it is probably just me and my inexperience, but a little internet hunting makes it sound like bad sights and shooting low are fairly common with this gun. For comparison, I feel I did have black & white better results with the few rounds (6) I put through a Beretta .22, but that's a different story.

I suppose all I'm really saying is that I should have gotten a Glock. At least then I wouldn't have to wonder how much of it was the gun.

***Addendum: I'm grouping the 9mm rounds mostly in a 10 in circle directly under where I aim from 10 yards. The Beretta in about a 5 in circle around where I aimed, most were under the center. I'm also having to hold the 9mm's sights in an unorthodox way to hit much of anything at all: front dot higher than normal, placed directly over desired point of impact.

[harold63]

You should find someone here who is experienced with handguns and see if they'll meet you at the range to shoot it and compare results. These pistols do not have elevation adjustments, so if you can show that it shoots low with different shooter, you can send it in to have a new blade put on it.

If it is shooting low, the blade is too tall, BUT, this is where this gets a little confusing. The blade is too tall if you are actually using the tops of the sights (as with rifle sights) as your picture or alignment to your target. If you are aligning the white dots, then the dot on the blade is too low. If this turns out to be the case, and the blade dot is all the way at the top, then the rear sight may have to be traded for one that has the dots sitting lower in the sight. To really determine the exact problem, you need someone with very good trigger control. If you have limited experience with pistols, you will not likely shoot a lightweight 9mm that's the size of the PT 111 Millennium Pro as well as you shoot a .22 pistol. I'd be suspect that some trigger control may be involved with your issue to whence you needing a skilled pistol shooter to help you.

Glocks are great guns, no doubt about it, but I wouldn't second guess your decision until you know for sure it's the sights being off, and at that, I wouldn't be too hard on the gun. Adjusting or changing sights on a handgun is as common as the gun itself.

ETA - Some sight adjustments can be made via the file or stone method, so maybe discuss that with someone experienced, as well. It may not need to be sent in if the sights are determined to only be off a little and you aren't using the dots, though it sounds like you are.

[mrnyman]

Read your manual again and see if Taurus recommends a center hold like Beretta does or if they recommend a 6'o clock hold like most gun makers does.

Also try different brands of ammo and try using another shooter and see if anything changed, if nothing changed it's quite likely the Gun , the Taurus Millenium series like your has a reputation to shoot low, read about this problem over at www.taurusarmed.net everything you want to know about Taurus Guns, i'm a member there too.

[SMPgh]

Thank you guys.

Yeah...I don't want to just give the blame to the gun...I just wonder because I'm experiencing something a lot of people seem to experience and lack the years of practice needed to really isolate and solve the problem.

As far as it goes, I'm considering getting adjustable sights put on it and set up professionally. I may not know much, but I do know that the straight-8 is not a great sight picture.

Also, ammunition choice was mentioned...I'm using AE FMJ 115s for the most part. I'm fairly confident that a heavier round would give a somewhat improved result.

Beyond that...I have a comfortable gun that I've never seen malfunction. I can't be too mad.

[harold63]

I'm fairly confident that a heavier round would give a somewhat improved result.

This will only be apparent if you are shooting at longer distances and with the strictest trigger control. At 7 to 10 yds, it's going to be difficult to tell.

Here's and example of the above statement. I use Stan Chen ammo, at times, and at 21', the groups are in the same place as my PD rounds.

ASYM target loads, 185 gr - 775 fps

Magtech PD 185 gr - 1150 fps

Win white box 230 gr 850 fps

As said, all three of these out of one of my 1911's will cut the same holes at 7 yds. Where these group differences start to show up is out at 25 yds and a definite difference 50 yds out. Just putting that out there.

[Sparxfly72]

Owned one about 7yrs ago. Like you said, felt good in the hand. They are nice looking guns and the weight is very appealing to cc. Back then, the accuracy was not up to par for me, so I got rid of it. Thinking back now, they are not target guns and I probably should not of held it to that kind of standard. For the money and what it is, the price tag of then was $329 with stainless slide, it was the SA/DA model. I wouldn't have a problem recommending it to someone who was interested in it for a cc gun, but nothing more.

[hss.strat]

I wouldn't be too hard on the gun. Adjusting or changing sights on a handgun is as common as the gun itself.

Seconded. At 10 yards most production guns are going to give repeatable hits. Whether those hits are point of aim is going to depend on how the sights are set up. It doesn't mean your gun is broken! That's like saying a car's bad because the headlights aren't aligned properly.

I wouldn't be comfortable adjusting the sights until I could put consistent 2" groups together at 10 yards. Try shooting off a bench rest/sand bags.

I'm grouping the 9mm rounds mostly in a 10 in circle directly under where I aim from 10 yards. The Beretta in about a 5 in circle around where I aimed, most were under the center.

The group size difference you're getting between the Beretta .22 and your PT111 is probably due to trigger pull weight/break and not as much the guns mechanical accuracy.

I'm also having to hold the 9mm's sights in an unorthodox way to hit much of anything at all: front dot higher than normal, placed directly over desired point of impact.

Ignore the dots when hunting the bullseye. The dots are there for quick sight acquisition only. Use the outline of the front sight and outline of the rear sight notch to line up the shot. Keep the sights aligned flat (top of the front blade in line with the top of the rear notch) and just aim at a point x inches above the bullseye to compensate if needed. Your eye is very good at judging if two flat lines are aligned with each other (tops of the sights), it's not so good at repeatedly misaligning them an exact distance. Like putting the top of the front blade a millimeter or two above the rear notch. If that makes sense.

I suppose all I'm really saying is that I should have gotten a Glock.

Don't doubt your purchase, Taurus makes a fine pistol. The factory Glock sights suck too. Best of luck with it.

[mrnyman]

Dont mess with the sights, you do not need adj sights on a self defense Gun.

Try this : Use the same ammo at 10 yards on a "Q" target only this time double tap it , i guarantee you the second shot will be dead on .
Its a self defense gun meant to do combat using the "zipper" method , 1st shot solar plexus 2nd shot COM 3rd shot head.

Double tap it and youre dead on .
A self defense gun should shoot low not high.

[mrnyman]

Dont mess with the sights, you do not need adj sights on a self defense Gun.

Try this : Use the same ammo at 10 yards on a "Q" target only this time double tap it , i guarantee you the second shot will be dead on .
Its a self defense gun meant to do combat using the "zipper" method , 1st shot solar plexus 2nd shot COM 3rd shot head.

Double tap it and youre dead on .
A self defense gun should shoot low not high.

[kpw]

Honestly, if all you can hold is a 10" group at 10 yards and all your shots are going low, my guess would be that your anticipating the recoil and nose-diving the gun before the trigger breaks. Not as noticeable with the .22 because of the lack of substantial recoil. If your somewhat inexperienced with handguns, it's a common malady that's easily fixed.